Ryan Murray | Co-Owner | Chief Editor | Contributor | Photographer
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On January 20th, it was announced that after a 7-year stint with Sabaton, Tommy Johansson had decided to leave the band. Along side with the band, joint announcement that it was time for Tommy to part ways with Sabaton.
The band had shared the following –
IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENT ABOUT TOMMY’S FUTURE WITH SABATON ⚠️
“After 7 amazing years in the band, our guitarist, Tommy, has decided to leave Sabaton to pursue his own path. We wish him nothing but the best on his journey. We have been a close family and we will continue to support him in the adventures that await him in the future.
Tommy joined the band in 2016 but he has been a close friend of Sabaton ever since our first meeting at the end of a concert in 2005. As a valued member of the band, he has contributed to countless immortal memories.
Tommy’s departure from Sabaton will not be effective immediately. He will stay on to ensure that all goes smoothly with the handover to our next guitarist.
While a small part of his large heart will always remain within Sabaton, we all know that he must follow his dreams.
Even though we will not wake up daily in the tour bus next to him, we are sure that our paths will cross again many times in the future, both on and off the stage.
Fly on your wings and strings brother!”
/Pär, Chris, Hannes and Joakim
A message from Tommy also read –
“My dear friends!
After 7 glorious years of Heavy Metal, I have decided to step down as the guitarist of Sabaton. This has been the hardest decision I’ve ever made in my entire life.
As many of you may know, I do a lot of things outside of Sabaton. I play with another band, perform with various artists, and have a career as a singer that I’ve put aside for years to focus on Sabaton. After doing this for seven years, I feel it’s time to start following my heart.
nņThis means I will no longer tour with my brothers in Sabaton and will not meet all you lovely Sabaton supporters on the upcoming tours with the band.
I will never quit playing music. I’ll still be touring with Majestica and other projects, but not on the same level as Sabaton of course. I am sure I will meet you lovely fans on the road again in the future.
My brothers in Sabaton and the best crew in the world will forever be my second family and I will miss spending time with all these wonderful people. We had so much fun together every day. I’ve come to learn so much about life, about music and about touring that I wouldn’t have learned anywhere else.
A massive thank you to all you lovely Sabaton fans for accepting me as the new guitarist in 2016. I am certain you will accept the person who takes over after me.
All the best to you all and I’ll see you again soon!
Cheers,
/Tommy”
Today, it was announced that Thobbe Englund would be returning to Sabaton to replace Tommy. See the band’s announcement below.
Thobbe Englund is rejoining Sabaton as our new guitarist!
We are beyond excited to announce that our former guitarist, Thobbe Englund, is rejoining the band and taking Tommy’s place!
Thobbe originally joined us in April 2012 and decided to leave Sabaton in July 2016 to focus on his personal life and expand his creativity. We, of course, respected his decision and we parted ways amicably. Since then, we have been in constant contact with him over the years – he’s a really good friend to all of us! Eight years later, he’s back and ready to hit the global stage with us once more and we couldn’t be happier about it!
Thobbe originally joined us in April 2012 and decided to leave Sabaton in July 2016 to focus on his personal life and expand his creativity. We, of course, respected his decision and we parted ways amicably. Since then, we have been in constant contact with him over the years – he’s a really good friend to all of us! Eight years later, he’s back and ready to hit the global stage with us once more and we couldn’t be happier about it!
Thobbe recorded two studio albums with us, namely “Heroes” (2014) and “The Last Stand” (2016), and assisted with the songwriting of some of our very popular songs including “Shiroyama” and “Fields Of Verdun”, among others.
“Words can’t express how ready and how excited I am to jump back into Sabaton. It feels like I was on a short holiday. The time is right, love is in the air and the best is yet to come!” //Thobbe
“This is a full circle moment for Sabaton and we are beyond excited to have Thobbe rejoin the band. He’s a talented guitarist, songwriter and a kind guy who we have a lot of fun with. We didn’t even need to hold auditions with other guitar players. All that was needed was to spend New Year’s Eve together to know that the time was right for Thobbe´s return.” //Pär
“This decision was a no-brainer for us as a band and for Thobbe. He knows the drill and is the perfect fit. This is a great outcome, and we think everyone is going to be psyched about the news! The time is right. Welcome back brother!” //Joakim
“Who? Thobbe f***ng Englund, that’s who! The man is back! I’m happy to once again share the stage with one of my best friends! Welcome back brother!” //Hannes
“I’m beyond excited and happy for the return of the king! We’ve had so many good times together, both on stage and off stage. It’s gonna be great to share the stage again. Welcome back and welcome home my brother! Love ya!” //Chris
As always thank you all for your unending support. It means the world to us. Here’s to a new era for Sabaton! 🤘
Ethereal Metal 
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